T20 World Cup 2021: "There will be more pressure on Virat Kohli, they also brought in MS Dhoni to unite the team" - Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar recently reckoned that Virat Kohli would be under more pressure than his counterpart Babar Azam going into their match at the 2021 T20 World Cup. India and Pakistan are all set to clash in the 16th match of the World Cup in Dubai tonight.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, the former Pakistani pacer previewed the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan and gave his thoughts about the pressure on both skippers. He said:

"Babar Azam will be looking to put up a notable performance to help his side win this crucial contest and make a name for himself. I think the pressure will be more on Indian captain Virat Kohli during this encounter.

"It is because he is going to leave T20I captaincy after this World Cup, he would want to leave behind a legacy on his way out. They also brought in MS Dhoni to unite the team."

It is going to be a swansong for Virat Kohli's T20I captaincy stint, so he will be looking to finish off on a high by winning the World Cup.

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I don't think one should compare Babar Azam with Virat Kohli: Harbhajan Singh

Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recently opined that people should not compare Babar Azam with a senior player like Virat Kohli, who has achieved a lot in his career so far.

He pointed out that Babar Azam is still young and added that he would become an elite player for his nation in the years to come if he keeps improving his game.

In this regard, Harbhajan said:

"Virat Kohli is a legendary batter and there will be no second thoughts about that. With all due respect to Babar Azam, he has done really really well for Pakistan.

"Babar is young, he also leads his side well and will most probably become an even better player in the future for the Pakistan cricket team. But at this moment, I don't think one should compare Babar Azam to a player of Virat Kohli's stature."

Both Babar Azam and Virat Kohli have stellar records in T20I cricket. They will be looking to lead their sides from the front in today's contest.